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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557579">The Antics of a Higher Being</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryCoolatta/pseuds/StrawberryCoolatta'>StrawberryCoolatta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Embrace The Void But Better [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hollow Knight (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(mostly) everyone lives, Gen, Minor Character Death, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, THATS the tag i intended before i just didn’t know it existed, There will be a lot more, happy endings only, i will add characters as they show up, mostly because i have everything planned out but it may change, this is embrace the void so all the bosses had to be killed so not everyone is alive, what even is a beta i dont do that</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:49:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryCoolatta/pseuds/StrawberryCoolatta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The infection is gone, and Ghost is now a god! Its pretty weird, but Ghost is sure they can get used to it. And now they get to see all of their friends again!</p><p>Reading part 1 of the series is not required to enjoy this.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Embrace The Void But Better [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>203</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I see interpretations of the shade lord that say "terrifying higher being that is not like Ghost at all" and I go "No."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>145 attempts. That’s how many times Ghost had woken up in godhome after being defeated during the final Pantheon. It wasn’t always Absolute Radiance that got them, sometimes they would slip up before even reaching her. It was frustrating, awful, and took forever. But they had done it! </p><p>The anxiety they felt at the pantheon’s peak was palpable.</p><p>They hadn’t even thought about the fact that they were a god now. Or even their new form! They were huge now, and look at how many eyes they had now! And twice the number of arms! </p><p>While they were excited about this new form, it simply wouldn’t do if they were to leave the junk pit. It would terrify their friends. Well, they were a god now, so maybe they could try taking a smaller form? Oh! Their shell! Ghost looked down at the ground to see the cracked remains of their shell. Oh no, that wasn’t what they had hoped to happen. They picked it up, trying to fit the two pieces together. They fit, but they didn’t stick. </p><p>Well this was annoying. Tucking their shell into what they decided to call their ‘void pockets’, Ghost started brainstorming on what to do. Maybe they could find some glue? It would be a crude method, but it would still work! But where? Lemm was pretty close by, they could ask him! He had to have something to help, with all the care he put into his relics. Yeah! That’s where they would go. And then they were off, easily dashing through the pipes and tunnels of the waterways.</p><p>---</p><p>This particular wanderer’s journal was giving Lemm quite a bit of trouble. It was an old one, and a lot of the text had faded overtime, despite being carved into stone. It didn’t help that the writer’s handwriting was simply awful. And to think that Lemm had started deciphering this as a way to take a break from the arcane egg he had bought. That thing would take forever to decipher, but the knowledge contained inside would be worth it. Lemm sighed, setting down the wanderer’s journal and looking out the window. Perhaps he could take a break from this break and go for a short walk, as long as he stayed away from the husk sentries. </p><p>“I really need to find an umbrella,” Lemm grumbled to himself as he stood up from his desk, making his way towards the exit. It’s not like he could walk around upstairs and indoors, the buildings were crawling with guards and he’d rather avoid that. Often he could hear them when he left his store, one being right above it. But when he walked out the door, it was strangely silent. Weird. It’s not like he would go check it out though, he didn’t want to risk it, and he didn’t really care anyway.</p><p>Lemm stepped onto the elevator, pulling the switch to make it go down. This would be a short walk, there weren’t many places to go anyway, and too long in the rain would be horribly unpleasant. </p><p>Then Lemm froze immediately after he stepped off of the elevator, because there was something climbing out. Something <i>big.<i> He couldn’t even see what it was, just inky black tendrils and a shapeless mass of darkness. Oh. Oh no. He was not going to deal with this today, whatever this thing was, he was going right back to his shop and locking the door, as if that would do anything to help.</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>The thing started to become more of a defined shape, four pairs of eyes making direct eye contact with Lemm.</p><p>“<i>It’s Lemm!!! Lemm!!!!!!!! Lemm Lemm Lemm Lemm Lemm Lemm. He’s right here!! How many relics do I have? I need to check. Oh right! I need to ask him for help, how do I do that though? Wait- am I talking to him right now? Wow!!!!<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>“Wha- Who said that? Was it you?” Lemm stammered in disbelief. Out of all things he expected that thing to do, this was not it. The voice he heard was only echoing around in his head, not out loud. And it knew him. How? Part of Lemm wanted to turn right around and go back up in the elevator, but his curiosity was making him stay. </p><p>“<i>You can hear me? I’m actually talking! Hi!!! I need to get this more under control though, right now I think I’m telling you every thought I’m having right now.<i>” </i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>The creature was now fully out of the sewers, hunched over in the small (small for the creature at least) hallway. They then took something out of… their body? It was kind of hard to tell, but whatever it was came out of nowhere.</p><p>“<i>This. Help me fix it.<i>” </i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>What the creature was holding shocked Lemm. It was the cracked and broken shell of the adventurer that was his most frequent customer. </p><p>“You killed them?” he asked nervously. He wasn’t especially close with them, but it would be upsetting if the creature had killed them.</p><p>“<i>No. It’s my shell.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>“Wait- hold on. Your shell? Are you telling me that you’re the little adventurer that keeps visiting my shop?” Lemm said, now considerably less afraid.</p><p>“<i>Yes. Will you fix it for me? Please?<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>“...I suppose I can. But please wait outside the shop, I don’t want you disrupting the relics.” Lemm was surprised he was acting this calm. He was also aware that the creature could be lying, that it could be pretending to be the adventurer. He had heard of things that did that, but one being in the City of Tears of all places was highly unlikely. He would be careful.</p><p>The creature handed him the broken shell. Lemm held it very carefully, and stepped back onto the elevator.</p><p>“I’ll be out as soon as I finish, but it may take awhile,” Lemm told the creature. “I’ve never glued anyone’s shell back together before.”</p><p>“<i>Okay.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>After going into the back of his shop, Lemm delicately placed the shell onto his desk, and then went into one of the back rooms. He dug through the drawers, looking for something useful. He was no medic, so he would treat the broken shell like it was a relic. Ugh, that sentence already sounded so weird. He gathered the needed supplies, and turned around, suddenly face to face with the creature.</p><p>“Gah! What are you doing!” Lemm yelled, nearly dropping the supplies. “I told you not to come inside! You’re too big, you could damage the relics!”</p><p>The creature just stared at him, not even apologizing.</p><p>“Out with you!” Lemm said, setting aside the supplies so he could push the creature out. “I’ll be done soon, be patient!”</p><p>If someone had told Lemm yesterday that he would be fearlessly shoving a creature that could probably kill him with just a look out of his shop, he wouldn’t have believed them at all. But here he was, doing exactly that. He was one step away from shooing out this terrifying beast with a broom.</p><p>Eventually, the creature did finally leave the shop, much to Lemm’s relief. No relics had been harmed in the process either. After carefully inspecting the shelves, Lemm took a seat at his desk, sliding the wanderer’s journal he had been working on before to the side. He stared at the shell, wondering where to start. Maybe he could just… pick up some glue and get started.</p><p> </p><p>Lemm was using a brush to smear glue onto some of the smaller bits of the shell, when he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched. He looked up, and sure enough, there was the creature, back inside the shop despite Lemm’s protests.</p><p>“Didn’t I tell you to wait?” he sighed.</p><p>“<i>I made sure not to break anything. I’m smaller now too.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>It was true, they had pressed themselves flat against the floor, careful not to disturb any of the shelves, and all of the tendrils that had been on their back were pressed flat against their body.</p><p>“Hm, you’re right. If you stay like that, you can wait here while I finish,” Lemm told them. “I’m almost done.”</p><p>The creature sat still, watching him work with interest. True to Lemm’s word, he was finished soon after.</p><p>“Here,” he said, handing the mended shell back to the creature. “It should be dry enough by now. I don’t know what you plan to do with it though.”</p><p>“<i>Thank you!!!<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>The creature took it, and stared at it, as if thinking of what to do. Then it started to absorb it into their body until it disappeared from view. Without even making a sound, the adventurer who the shell belonged to was standing before him.</p><p>“What???” Lemm exclaimed, He hadn’t even blinked, and this sudden transformation had gone almost unnoticed. “How did you do that?”</p><p>“<i>I don’t know. I just wanted to.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>It was weird for the adventurer to now have a voice- even if it wasn’t a proper one. </p><p>“Curious…” Lemm murmured, squinting at them. It was identical to how he remembered the adventurer. Perhaps it really was them. Now he had lots of questions. “You aren’t a normal bug at all, aren’t you.”</p><p>“<i>I have relics. A king’s idol.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>“Yes yes, that’s eight hundred geo. Here. But I’m not concerned about that! What are you, little adventurer?”</p><p>“<i>I have a name. Kind of. You can call me Ghost, my sister gave me that name.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>“Ghost, huh? Nice to finally know your name. You have a sister?” Lemm noticed they were dodging the question, but he knew he would get answers out of them eventually.</p><p>“<i>Yeah, you might have seen her. She was talking to me right outside your shop, next to the statue of my other sibling.<i>”</i></i></p><p>
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</p><p>Wait. WHAT??? With a loud scrape of the chair, Lemm quickly stood to his feet and ran to the window, squinting out into the rain.</p><p>“That statue? Of the mysterious knight I’ve been puzzled over for so long?! That’s your sibling???” Lemm almost yelled. </p><p>
  <i>“Yes. I need to go now though. Goodbye.”<i></i></i>
</p><p>
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    <i>“Hey! You can’t just drop that on me and then leave!” Lemm protested, running back over to Ghost who was already walking away. “Get back here!”</i>
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    <i>They didn’t listen, and were already on the elevator by the time that Lemm got to the door. Lemm was not very fast, sitting inside all day with minimal walks did that to a bug. But he still managed to get to the lever before he heard the elevator stopped, smacking it as hard as he could. But to his surprise, when the elevator came back up, it was completely empty. Did they actually jump off of it before it hit the ground?</i>
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    <i>“Damn it,” Lemm muttered, walking back to the shop in defeat. They would be back, he was sure of it. They always came back with more relics to sell. He sat back down at his desk, turning to stare out the window again. What even was Ghost? They could speak to him without speaking at all, they could change their shape and size, and even seemed to have a powerful aura around them that was still present even when they had taken their smaller form. Their relation to the statue outside, who had to be connected somehow to the old king of Hallownest. </i>
  </i>
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  <i>
    <i>Then it hit him.</i>
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    <i>“Wait a second- have I been buying relics from a <i>higher being?!?<i>”</i>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ghost has the same internal dialogue as me when I see Lemm. Anyway, get ready for chapter 2 soon! Hornet is there.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow! Two chapters in one day??? That is surprising for me. Also the site went down when I tried to post this. Oh no. Also html isnt working again so just no that all of Ghost's quotes are supposed to be in italics. I'll find a way to fix it eventually.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hornet had been tracking the little ghost’s progress ever since they had defeated her in Kingdom’s Edge. She had expected them to find and slay the three dreamers after they returned from the Abyss, but for some reason they didn’t. They kept exploring, avoiding the dreamers, as if they were stalling. Were they afraid? Did vessels feel fear? </p><p>These thoughts were on Hornet’s mind as she made her way towards Deepnest. She was tired of following Ghost around, and there weren’t really any other places for them to go besides to the dreamers. So she would just wait for them at the Distant Village. It shouldn’t be that long a wait, Ghost couldn’t stall forever. </p><p>As she walked down the familiar tunnels of Deepnest, she began to notice that the orange glows of the beasts around her were suddenly gone. Hornet stopped in place, examining a deephunter clinging to the wall. It hissed, spitting at her and she instinctively threw her needle at it. Bleeding whitish-yellow, it retreated and skittered away into the shadows.</p><p>Wait a second. Yellow?</p><p>Hornet looked at the blood on her needle, and it was definitely a pale yellow. That couldn’t be right, almost everything in Deepnest was infected! But as she looked around, none of the deephunters and deeplings were glowing orange- and the ones that were had dropped dead.</p><p>Had she stumbled upon an uninfected area in Deepnest? No, that couldn’t be right, she knew this area, it had been completely infected when she left, and it can’t have gotten better. The infection doesn’t just leave. She had to look into this more, she would find another area to investigate. Hornet threw her needle upwards, on her way out of Deepnest. The Fungal Wastes were right above her, and above that were the crossroads. She would be able to get there in no time.</p><p> </p><p>Hornet had her needle drawn in preparation as she stepped into the area between the Fungal Wastes and the now infected crossroads. The Fungal Wastes was fairly peaceful aside from the exploding plants, but Hornet had taken note of how all of the fungified husks were already dead, and none of the fungoons had tried to attack her. But that could have been because she was too fast for them to even notice her.</p><p>The first thing Hornet noticed was the lack of orange. The pulsing roots were now grey and shriveled up. That was strange enough, but what Hornet wasn’t expecting was what waited for her outside of that area.</p><p>All around were the scattered remains of bug and beast, bloated with infection… that wasn’t even infection. It was grey, just like everything else she had seen. Even the constant orange smoke was gone, and the air was still. Hornet carefully stepped around the corpses, puzzled to how this could even happen. The infection couldn’t just disappear. Unless…</p><p>Realizing what could have happened, Hornet dashed as fast as she could through the crossroads, trying to get to the temple of the black egg. She wasn’t sure how it could be done, but if there was something up with the infection she would go back to the source. </p><p>Not one thing tried to stop her on the way.</p><p>Eventually, she arrived, running into the temple. She let out a small gasp when she saw the egg. The entrance had been broken open. But that couldn’t be possible! Her mother was still alive, and so were the other two dreamers! She couldn’t go inside of course, that could kill her, but her curiosity was spiking and she had to know what happened. There wasn’t any trace of the infection aside from shriveled up globs and roots, but as she looked closer at the floor, she noticed something. On the ground was a trail, as if something heavy had been dragged across the floor. It came from inside the black egg itself. This couldn’t be good. Her needle drawn in anticipation, she followed the trail. It led outside of the temple, and down the tunnels before stopping at the well to Dirtmouth. Whatever had made the trail had climbed back up. And Hornet was going to find out what it was. She looked up, and threw her needle out of the well. Giving the silk a strong tug to test if it was sturdy or not, and then began climbing up.</p><p>She had her guesses to what she would find.</p><p>---</p><p>It didn’t take long for Ghost to find the nearest bench. It was the one they had shared with Quirrel the first time they had arrived at the City of Tears. That felt like so long ago. They had sat with their face pressed up against the glass for what seemed like forever, watching the rain fall. They had never seen anything like it before, it was beautiful.</p><p>But Ghost had come to this bench for a reason. When going through the pantheon, Ghost did not want to subject their friend Grimmchild to the same torment they were going through. They hadn’t had the chance to bring them out again. </p><p>As soon as Ghost equipped the charm, Grimmchild popped into existence. As soon as it saw them, it chirped happily, flying around their head. It looked like Grimmchild didn’t mind that Ghost wasn’t the same at all. Ghost stood up, motioning for Grimmchild to follow. They were headed towards the exit, intent to take the long way around. They wanted to see their work in action- their work being getting rid of the infection. Sure, it might have been a long walk, but they didn’t really mind.</p><p>Almost immediately, Ghost and Grimmchild came across a husk sentry. It was dead. The infection had taken it over too much, and it couldn’t have recovered. Oh well. Ghost hoped this wasn’t the case for everything, it would take ages for Hallownest to repopulate. </p><p>The Fungal Wastes were mostly the same. A lot of things were dead, and anything else was passive and not attacking. Not because they weren’t hostile before, but because they were all recovering. All of these creatures had been infected for years. Grimmchild didn’t care though, spitting fireballs at anything that moved.</p><p>Fog Canyon was much different. The oomas and uomas were now a bright green! What a pretty color. Ghost was holding Grimmchild in their arms to prevent a fireball-ooma collision, which made climbing a bit more difficult, but it was fine. Fog Canyon wasn’t that big of an area anyway. They finally made it to the top, and climbed out into Greenpath. Grimmchild’s angered squeaks of protests only stopping when Ghost let it go. It flew up high into the air, looking at Ghost with an accusatory glare.</p><p>Hey! It couldn’t blame them for not wanting to face an explosion head on! Although they weren’t sure if it would hurt them anymore, considering they were a higher being and all. But it was better safe than sorry.</p><p>“Greenpath is just as nice as I remember! And it’s good to see that all of the flora has grown back.”</p><p>Ghost perked up their head as soon as they heard this new and unfamiliar voice, jogging in the direction they heard it coming from.</p><p>“Oh yes, I quite enjoyed traveling through here,” said another voice. This one Ghost recognized! It was Quirrel! They started jogging faster, rounding the corner to see Quirrel standing with one of the dreamers. Who was awake! This one was Monomon, Ghost remembered that. They were so glad she had woken up safely, going through that pantheon was already worth it.</p><p>
  <em>“Quirrel!”</em>
</p><p>Quirrel jumped, spinning around in surprise. He relaxed when he saw it was just Ghost, but his expression quickly became puzzled.</p><p>“Hello friend! It’s so good to see you again! But uh. Did you just call out my name?” Quirrel asked.</p><p>
  <em>”Yes. I can talk now. Sort of. In your head only though.”</em>
</p><p>“I see.” Quirrel was taking this surprisingly well. Maybe he was already used to how odd Ghost was.</p><p>“Hello, little one,” said Monomon. Ghost looked up at her, and waved hello.</p><p>“Oh I simply must thank you,” Quirrel said enthusiastically. “You had something to do with the madam waking up, didn’t you? Thank you for finding that way to save her.”</p><p>“But you must tell me, how did you do it?” Monomon asked.</p><p>
  <em>“I killed a higher being and ascended to pantheon’s peak.”</em>
</p><p>Neither of them replied at first. Ghost was expecting that, you couldn’t just drop that on someone and expect them to react normally. Ghost enjoyed messing with their friends, it was funny to see their faces.</p><p>“Wow! Very cool!” Quirrel said, clasping his hands together. “Anyway, I’m sure you can answer our questions later! Where are you headed now, friend?”</p><p>
  <em>“Dirtmouth.”</em>
</p><p>“We were headed near there as well, would you like to join us?” Monomon offered. “We can talk about your current situation on the way there.”</p><p>Ghost nodded. They would love to travel with Quirrel and his teacher!</p><p>
  <em>“Oh also- you can call me Ghost. My sister gave me that name.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“At last, a name to call you, friend!” Quirrel said. “You have a sister? You’ll have to tell me about her.”</em>
</p><p>Yes! They would love to do that! Now that Ghost could talk, they had so much to say about themselves! This would be a very talkative walk back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>well. i don’t know who else saw it, but this chapter posted EIGHT OTHERS TIMES!!! and then i couldn’t delete it!!! this is what i get for trying to brute force post my writing when the site is down.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The real chapter 3! Not one of the many many copies of chapter 2.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been too long to remember the last time Hornet had been to Dirtmouth. There wasn’t really anything there of worth to her, and there was a shorter path to the Howling Cliffs through Greenpath anyway. It was a ghost town, devoid of life. Only a few residents were left, and even they were slowly disappearing. Yet when she emerged from the well, an unlikely sight awaited her.</p><p>There was a small crowd of bugs gathered in the center of the town, all looking at something. And that something was none other than her sibling, the Hollow Knight.</p><p>Hornet instantly drew her needle, sprinting into the town. They had gotten out, how did they break the seals? Was it the captive light? But wasn’t the infection dying from what she had seen before? She slowed to a stop when she got closer, because the Hollow Knight wasn’t attacking. They didn’t even seem aggressive at all. And there wasn’t any sign that they were infected. Their nail was lying discarded behind the bench that they were sitting on, and their head was down, almost as if they were sleeping.</p><p>Hornet walked closer, one of the bugs noticing her.</p><p>“Oh hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before,” he said. “But you came up from the ruins, so you must have passed by before.”</p><p>“Who is that?” Hornet asked, ignoring the Elderbug. She didn’t have time for small talk.</p><p>“That strange fellow on the bench?” Elderbug asked, as if Hornet would be talking about anyone else. “They climbed up from the well not long before you did. Gave me quite the scare. They nearly passed out, but that nice young lady with the club was kind enough to help them to the bench. I would have myself, but I don’t think I have the strength. They drew in quite the crowd.”</p><p>“And they were always like that? They didn’t try and attack anyone?” Hornet asked.</p><p>“No, despite that scary looking nail, all they wanted to do was rest,” Elderbug replied. </p><p>Hornet nodded, and walked closer, still gripping her needle. The bugs surrounding her sibling were all standing a few feet away, giving them space. She didn’t really blame them for being curious, this was probably the most interesting thing that had happened in the town. Her steps faltered as the Hollow Knight lifted their head, noticing her. They weren’t asleep anymore. They made direct eye contact with her, and Hornet could see that there was nothing behind those eyes. No orange, and no light. Those were the same eyes that she had seen on her visits to the White Palace as a child. And this was a good thing. They were no longer under the control of that captive light. They were free. Hornet’s expression softened, but she quickly caught herself, and turned away to hide her face. Now was not the time for a reunion, not in front of all of these other bugs, and she was not ready yet. She would go back to the well, back into the ruins. No, she wasn’t avoiding it forever, she would just come back later! Later. </p><p>“Well that was weird, what was her deal?” she heard one of the other bugs say. She ignored him, instead speed walking back to the well. Trying her best not to glance back, she jumped down the well. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of not looking down it first, and before she could land safely on the ground, she collided with something soft. </p><p>“Ow!” That something yelled in pain as Hornet crashed into it. She rolled off of it instantly, crouching into a defensive position. Oh. Never mind. It was just Quirrel who she had landed on. He was lying face down on the ground. She wasn’t <em>that</em> heavy, he shouldn’t be in too much pain!</p><p>Hornet was just about to walk away when someone else ran up to Quirrel, checking to make sure he was okay. It was Little Ghost, and they hadn’t seen her yet. Maybe she could just slip away, there was no need to talk to them now. Especially because she didn’t want to explain that she had run away from her other sibling. </p><p>“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Quirrel reassured Ghost, sitting up. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine..”</p><p>Hornet tried to back away slowly and out of sight, but found that Ghost was now looking directly at her. Darn, she had been too slow.</p><p>“Hello Ghost of Hallownest,” Hornet began. “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”</p><p>“You fell on me,” Quirrel said, interrupting her.</p><p>“You have something to do with the lack of infection, don’t you?” Hornet continued, ignoring Quirrel. </p><p>‘It really hurt.”</p><p>“How did you do it? The only way to do that is to slay the dreamers…” Hornet trailed off, forgetting what she was going to say as Monomon the Teacher came into view. Monomon, who was supposed to be asleep in the middle of Fog Canyon. Even Hornet couldn’t contain her surprise. She was alive, and awake. How was that possible? If Monomon was awake, then that meant-</p><p><em>Herrah.</em> </p><p>Without even giving Monomon a chance to say hello, Hornet launched her needle into the other room, using it to travel as fast as she could. While it was a good excuse to get out of there, Hornet was mainly concerned about getting to Deepnest as fast as possible. </p><p> </p><p>With her knowledge of tunnels that led to and from places, Hornet was back in Deepnest in no time. She was running as fast as she could go, adrenaline coursing through her. She should be there soon, Deepnest wasn’t that confusing to navigate once one got used to it, and Distant Village wasn’t that far away.</p><p>Like she expected, it didn’t take long to get to the Distant Village. And with her needle, getting to the buildings was an easy task. She slowed down to a walk as she entered, trying not to let her nervousness get to her. Kicking aside the discarded masks that littered the floor, Hornet jumped through the hole in the ceiling. Lucky for her, the Stalking Devouts were either passive or dead. The Beast’s Den was a maze, but Hornet was able to easily guess where to go. The only thing left to do now was to enter. Taking a deep breath, Hornet walked into the room.</p><p>“Hornet?” Herrah was awake.</p><p>“Mother!” Hornet almost cried. Before she could stop herself, Hornet ran toward her mother, wrapping her in a hug. The last thing she ever remembered of her mother was giving her a hug before she went to sleep. That had been so many years ago, and she expected to never see her mother again. But now here she was.</p><p>No words were exchanged as the two hugged each other, but that was alright. They would have plenty of time to talk.</p><p>“Hornet, you’ve grown so much!” Herrah said when they finally stopped hugging. “You were so small the last time I saw you!”</p><p>“Mother you’ve missed so much while you were asleep, not just me growing up,” Hornet replied. “The infection, I think it’s gone. But Hallownest is in ruins now.”</p><p>“Ruins?” Herrah sighed. “And what of Deepnest?”</p><p>“The Weavers fled home, and everything else fell to the infection.”</p><p>“So my sacrifice was for nothing then,” Herrah said. “I’m not surprised the king didn’t know what he was doing after all.”</p><p>“It worked for a few years, but the light was too strong. I have been protecting this land ever since, even though there isn’t much left.”</p><p>“I’m very proud of you for that Hornet, you’ve done so well despite everything going against you.”</p><p>The last time someone had told her they were proud of her was when Hornet had been training at the hive. It was the last time she had ever seen Queen Vespa, along with her knight. </p><p>“Thank you,” Hornet said. She could feel herself swelling up with pride, but tried not to show it. While she would never admit it, she had missed her mother so much. All of the memories had started fading away, and it hurt. She knew she was very lucky to be reunited. Not everyone had the same chance.</p><p>“So, are we going to leave this decrepit old place or what? It certainly has gotten a lot messier since I was last awake,” Herrah said, standing up. “If the infection is really gone I’m sure Deepnest can recover and become the kingdom it once was before. Oh and how could I forget, I need to go see Lurien and Monomon! I hope they’re alright, we’ve grown close in the long time that we spent together dreaming.”</p><p>“I saw the teacher on the way here,” Hornet said. “She was with her apprentice.”</p><p>“He’s still around? He’s tougher than he looks then,” Herrah said. “Now come on, lets go. Where did you see Monomon? We can go there.”</p><p>“In the crossroads, up near-” Oh that’s right. Near where the Hollow Knight was. “Near the town on the surface, and the temple of the black egg.”</p><p>“Must be going there to check out what happened,” Herrah guessed, her and Hornet now exiting the den. “That was where the vessel was sealed away. And with us awake, something drastic had to have happened there.”</p><p>“Yes, something did happen. The door was broken open from I presume the inside. The Hollow Knight left the egg, and when I saw them, it looked like there was no trace of the infection or the light left.”</p><p>“Really?” Herrah asked. ‘This would be a good place to start then, since the vessel is now technically the ruler of Hallownest.”</p><p>“Oh… About that…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For clarification, Ghost talking in " " means anyone can hear it, and them talking without it means only other void creatures like their siblings (besides Hornet) can hear them.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hornet had left before Ghost could even say anything to her, so after Quirrel had assured them again that he was completely fine after being landed on.</p><p>“That was your sister?” he asked after Ghost told him. “I think she’s the only who tried to murder me before she realized I had the Madam’s mask on.”</p><p>Yeah. That sounded like her.</p><p>“Hornet tried to do <em>what?</em>” Monomon said.</p><p> </p><p>Ghost had decided to check out the Black Egg along with Quirrel and Monomon. They still didn’t know what was inside of it (besides the Hollow Knight itself, which they had figured out based on the statue inscription), and they were curious. They didn’t even know if it would be open! But it was. The entrance had cracked open, pieces of the once sealed egg scattered across the floor.</p><p>“It opens?” Quirrel said in disbelief. “I guess it <em>is</em> an egg after all.”</p><p>“We can’t go inside, but you can,” Monomon said to Ghost. “The pure vessel was supposed to be in there. I don’t know what their fate would be now that the infection is gone.”</p><p>Ghost didn’t even need any other prompting, motioning for Grimmchild to stay behind, they ran into the Egg.</p><p> </p><p>Once they got so far inside of the Egg that they couldn’t see their friends anymore, they slowed to a walk. It was dark and quiet, and Ghost needed the lumafly lantern to see a few feet in front of them. How funny was it that they were currently the most powerful being in Hallownest, yet they still relied on their little lumafly friend to see. There was nothing else to light the way.</p><p>Eventually they stumbled upon a bench, and a tablet with writing on it.</p><p>“Vessel,” it read. “Though bound, you shall know the state of the world. Hallownest will be whole once again.”</p><p>Oh. That aged poorly.</p><p>They kept going, stepping over the shriveled up evidence of the infection. This must have been the room where the Hollow Knight was supposed to be! But they weren’t there- the only thing left in the room were broken chains lying on the ground. Ghost nudged them with their foot. Had their sibling simply vanished? Or had they been able to leave?</p><p>There didn’t seem to be anything left in the Black Egg, so they decided to leave.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome back, did you find anything in there?” Monomon said as Ghost walked out of the Egg.</p><p>
  <em>“No. There was nothing in there.”</em>
</p><p>“How strange… perhaps the vessel was released once the seals broke, the same way that I was awoken,” Monomon mused. “Where could they have gone if that's the case?”</p><p>Ghost decided to worry about that later. They had had a plan, and that plan was to go to Dirtmouth.</p><p>“Ghost? Where are you going?” Quirrel asked.</p><p>Oh right! They had a voice now! They didn’t need to keep wandering off because explaining themselves would take too long.</p><p>
  <em>“Dirtmouth. Remember?”</em>
</p><p>“That’s right, that was where you said you wanted to go before we stopped here,” Quirrel said. “The empty little town above.”</p><p>
  <em>“It isn’t so empty anymore! There’s Elderbug, Sly, Cornifer, Iselda, Bretta, Tiso- who says he isn’t staying for long but he isn’t allowed to leave until he gets better, Cloth, and unfortunately Zote. And also the Troupe, they haven’t left yet.”</em>
</p><p>“Really? Why do I get the feeling that you have something to do with that?”</p><p>Ghost shrugged. Yes, they were the one who was responsible for Dirtmouth’s increase in residents.</p><p>“And what do you mean by troupe?” Quirrel continued. “Do you mean like a theatre troupe?”</p><p>
  <em>“That’s how they present themselves, but they’re actually part of a ritual that I haven’t actually completed yet. I was supposed to defeat the Nightmare King but I didn’t fight the actual version of him yet. You see the Grimmchild? I got it from the troupe.”</em>
</p><p>Ghost pointed at the Grimmchild, who was hovering near their head.</p><p>“Ohhh so that’s what's been following you around. I really should have asked,” Quirrel said.</p><p>“Do you mean the Nightmare Troupe?” Monomon asked. “I didn’t even know it was real- I had heard stories of it, stories about a mysterious group of bugs who feed on dying kingdoms before vanishing, that they were the things of nightmares. I didn’t know that last part was meant to be literal. And you say this child is part of it? Fascinating…”</p><p>
  <em>“It isn’t fully grown yet, according to Grimm.”</em>
</p><p>As the three had been talking, they had gotten back to the well, Ghost eagerly ascending up. They ran into the town, waving hello to Elderbug. But the bench that they would usually sit on was occupied!</p><p>“Hello, traveler, it would seem someone else has come to stop at this little town,” Elderbug said. “They haven’t moved from that bench since they got there.”</p><p>The bug that was sitting on the bench was their sibling, the Hollow Knight. Ghost couldn’t believe it! They were actually here! That search for them had ended before it had even begun.</p><p>The Hollow Knight looked up at Ghost as they approached, the two siblings staring at each other. The last time that Ghost had seen them was so long ago, right before the Abyss doors had sealed and they had fallen. </p><p><em>I’m sorry,</em> they seemed to say. </p><p><em>I forgive you,</em> Ghost responded. <em>What else were you supposed to do? If you had turned back we would have both been discarded.</em></p><p>Ghost knew that they had been scared too when they had reached the top of the Abyss. Both of them had just been freshly hatched, Ghost didn’t blame them for making the split second decision to leave them. And they had had plenty of time to think about that event and decide to forgive their sibling.</p><p>“Ghost?” </p><p>That was Quirrel’s voice. Ghost looked away to see that Quirrel and Monomon had followed them. Ghost couldn’t see Monomon’s expression under the mask, but they could tell she was surprised to see the Hollow Knight sitting right there.</p><p>“That’s the Pure Vessel,” she said. It sure was. </p><p>“Huh?” Elderbug said, looking confused.</p><p>“All that time spent locked away, suffering from the effects of that captive light… it’s a wonder it managed to make it to this place,” Monomon said, getting closer. “Oh no, your arm!”</p><p>Ghost hadn’t even noticed that their sibling was missing an arm. They wouldn’t have been fighting anyone inside of the Black Egg, so did that mean it fell off due to the infection? That was awful!</p><p>“Little Warrior! You’re back!” Who said that? It was Cloth! She had stepped out of one of the houses nearby (a temporary home, she had said earlier).</p><p>
  <em>“Cloth! Hello! Hi!”</em>
</p><p>“Wait,” Cloth paused. “Did you say that? Or am I hearing things?”</p><p>
  <em>“That was me. I have a voice now. And now I can tell you my name! It’s Ghost.”</em>
</p><p>“Where would you ever get a voice from?” she then looked past Ghost, seeing Monomon and Quirrel. “Are those two with you? And do you know the fellow on the bench? You looked like you did when I saw you.”</p><p>
  <em>“Yes! That’s Quirrel, and Monomon. She’s been asleep for awhile and just woke up recently. And the one on the bench is my sibling. I do know them.”</em>
</p><p>“Your sibling? I didn’t know you had any!” she then lowered her voice. “Are they alright? They didn’t look too good when I helped them out of the well, and they haven’t moved from the bench for a while.”</p><p>
  <em>“They need rest. They’ve been through a lot.”</em>
</p><p>“In that case, I’ll give them space,” Cloth said. “I’ll go say hello to your other friends though!”</p><p>Ghost then turned their attention back to their sibling.</p><p>
  <em>You can go inside one of the houses if you don’t want to be around everyone.</em>
</p><p>They shook their head. No. They wanted to be around other bugs. They couldn’t stand to be alone again.</p><p>
  <em>You do need a name though! We shouldn’t keep referring to you as the pure vessel, if I got a name you should get one too! Any ideas?</em>
</p><p>They shrugged. They didn’t have any, they would be fine with any name given.</p><p>
  <em>Well I got my name from Hornet who called me “The Ghost of Hallownest” which I guess is my title like yours is “The Hollow Knight”, so we could call you Hollow!</em>
</p><p>They tilted their head in thought, before nodding. Hollow liked that name. It was theirs now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A thing of note is that my headcanon of how the infection ends up is that any bugs that were recently infected can survive once its gone, but those who have been infected for decades? Yeah they're pretty dead.</p><p>Also apologies, this is another chapter of mostly dialogue, next chapter will have cool stuff in it I promise!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The seals <em>had</em> to stay. That’s what Lurien had said. They can’t be undone. But Monomon said that they must be undone. The vessel had weakened. She was right about the vessel, Lurien could sense it too, but he still had to fulfill his duty, he would stay loyal to what the king asked of him. Even if the king was gone.</p><p>He hadn’t spoken to her since that argument, and then they had sat waiting, waiting for the shadow to find their physical bodies and break the seals. There wasn’t anything else he could do to stop it, even if he wanted to. He was only relying on his guards, but had they fallen to the infection? He didn’t know. His knowledge on the fate of the kingdom was somewhat limited.</p><p>Then all of the sudden he was pulled somewhere, like there was a string attached to his chest and somebody at the other end with unfathomable strength was yanking on it. He exclaimed in surprise, and then…</p><p>Lurien woke up. <em>He woke up.</em></p><p>He sat up, removing his mask. What happened? How was he back here? Lurien stood, walking over to the window and his telescope. He passed by one of his paintings, a thick layer of dust on top. The whole room was covered in dust, aside from the floor, as if someone else had been walking around. Especially near his telescope. He decided to look through it, and could barely make out the tops of the buildings, the shadows of vengeflies passing by. The city was so devoid of life. The Hollow Knight’s sacrifice, along with his own had really been for nothing. He sighed, sitting down on the stool and putting his head in his hands. So had the seals broken somehow without his death? But how? Had the light escaped? Oh wyrm, he really hoped that wasn’t the case.</p><p>Lurien suddenly sneezed, the amount of dust in the room finally taking effect. Shouldn’t his butler have taken care of this sort of thing? To not let the spire end up like this? Where was he anyway? Lurien stood back up to look, and-</p><p>Oh. Oh no.  </p><p>He slid his mask back over his face, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. The sacrifices made really had been for nothing then, not even his butler had survived. He knew someone of his status shouldn’t be this upset of their servant’s death, but he couldn’t help it, he had cared for the bug, he had been working for Lurien for many years, and was the most loyal bug Lurien knew- which was why he had trusted him to watch over him. And now he was gone.</p><p>Lurien would have time to properly mourn later, for now he had to find someone alive. He stepped into the elevator, already fearing the worst for the city. </p><p>Like he had expected, his knights had fallen as well. One had even been crushed by a chandelier- Lurien hoped that one had already died before that, it would have been an awful way to go.</p><p>He continued down the hallways, averting his gaze from the husks littering the floor- it was much worse than he had thought. The guards, the dandies, everyone was gone. </p><p>Eventually he made it outside- at least it was still raining, that was still familiar to him. And there was the statue of the Hollow Knight, still standing. </p><p>“Through its sacrifice, Hallownest lasts eternal,” Lurien read out loud. Even reading that left a sour taste in his mouth, this statue a reminder of how badly they had all failed. Well, he wouldn’t get anywhere just standing in the downpour. He needed to keep moving. If he couldn’t find any of the living, he could find a stag station… assuming the stags were alive.</p><p>He hadn’t spent much time in the other half of the city, only traveling through when needed. It was much less lavish, but at least there weren’t as many husks. Someone had left the tunnel to the waterways open, and Lurien stepped around it. If he remembered this building right, it was just a few elevators up to the storerooms, where there was a stag station. And a few elevators up to the Soul Sanctum. He did wonder how the Soul Master’s horrible experiments went. It was safe to assume that they didn’t work. </p><p>Lurien had only gone up one floor before he noticed something new- or someone. Someone alive! Finally, he was beginning to think he was the last one left. He didn’t recognize this bug at all, but he appeared to be running some sort of shop.</p><p>“Are you here in search of relics?” the bug asked once he noticed Lurien standing outside his door. “If so, keep going, I’m only open to buying them.”</p><p>“These aren’t relics,” Lurien said, already distracted from what he was originally going to say. He looked at the shelves covered with king’s idols and hallownest seals. “That egg there looks like a relic, but the rest aren’t.”</p><p>“What do you mean? Of course they’re relics!” The other bug responded. “They’re objects surviving from a time long ago, and these sure were made a very long time ago!”</p><p>Huh? How long had passed? The “relics” he had back in his spire weren’t that old, so these wouldn’t be either!</p><p>“Say, would you mind telling me how long ago you think these… ‘relics’ are from?” Lurien asked.</p><p>“Well, that egg you were looking at seems to be hundreds and hundreds of years old, coming from a time long before this dead kingdom,” the bug said, now sounding happier to be talking about history. “The journals could be any number of years old, lucky for me the date is usually written there! I do have a hard time figuring out how old the idols and seals are however, they don’t appear to have decayed over time but they certainly weren’t made yesterday. They really were made by some extremely talented bugs!”</p><p>“Hm,” Lurien hummed before he got an idea. He actually had a king’s idol with him right now, he had kept it along with a few other items before he went to sleep. Sort of how you place treasured belongs alongside a bug in their grave. “Can you tell me about this king’s idol? It isn’t for sale.”</p><p>“Ah! This one is certainly fancier than the others,” the relic seeker said, examining the idol closely. “These markings are exquisite! This must have belonged to someone very important! I can’t make out quite what these markings mean, but some of them bear resemblance to your mask.”</p><p>The relic seeker looked up at Lurien, and then looked out the window.</p><p>“You look like those smaller statues too,” he said slowly, as if piecing things together. “And each king’s idol was tailored to their owner. Is this… yours?”</p><p>“Of course it is! I’m Lurien the Watcher! Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” Lurien said proudly.</p><p>The relic seeker was quiet for a moment before slamming his hand down onto the desk.</p><p>“This is the second time today this has happened to me!” he exclaimed.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>“I’m fine!” the relic seeker had now stood, pacing back and forth behind his desk. “But please, at least tell me who the one in the middle of that statue is! If you were literally part of the same statue as it, you’ve got to know!”</p><p>“That’s the Hollow Knight,” Lurien replied. “And at least introduce yourself first before you interview me.”</p><p>“I know that already!” the other bug said, exasperated. “And my name is Lemm. I’m a relic seeker, as you’ve already guessed. Now, are you going to tell me more?”</p><p>“Were they really never recorded into any of Hallownest’s history?” Lurien wondered out loud. “Perhaps the King wanted to keep them a secret. But that is the Pure Vessel, the one responsible for sealing away the captive light that started the plague. I was responsible as well, enacting additional protection alongside two others.”</p><p>“Is that really all you know?”</p><p>“I guess. I know there were some complicated things surrounding the origin of the Pure Vessel, but Monomon is the expert in that,” Lurien shrugged. “And none of us knows what the light was. Aside from the King. He didn’t want anyone to know, and I didn’t ask questions.”</p><p>“Monomon… I’ve heard that name before,” Lemm said. “There were archives, weren’t there? I’ve heard them mentioned, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t survive a journey if I were to venture out there myself.”</p><p>“I’ve been to the Teacher’s Archives before, it’s only a short stag ride away! You could even talk to Monomon herself, assuming she woke up as well.”</p><p>“Woke up?”</p><p>“Yes, Monomon, Herrah, and I were all in an everlasting sleep to create the seals that sealed away the vessel. I was asleep up there.” Lurien pointed out the window, all the way up to the spire. “I used to watch the city from there.”</p><p>Lemm was silent again, thinking.</p><p>“I have some questions for you as well,” Lurien then said. “Like how long has it been? You obviously weren’t around in my time, and I have no idea how long I’ve been sleeping!”</p><p>“I don’t actually know,” Lemm replied. “It’s like this kingdom, despite being dead, never aged. But I would say it’s been half a century.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s the stasis, I can’t believe I forgot to mention that,” Lurien laughed to himself. “In order for the kingdom to last eternal, the King had a brilliant idea of freezing Hallownest in time! He used the seals to do that, but with the seals now broken, that may have been broken too! But do you really think it’s been half a century? That’s a very long time… Oh! One more thing, is there anyone else left alive in this city?”</p><p>“Aside from all these blasted husks, no. After that nailsmith left, I think I’m the last one,” Lemm answered.</p><p>“Oh,” Lurien responded, disappointed. “But the husks are all dead though. At least now they are. Now that I think about it, none of them showed any signs of the infection! Almost as if it vanished, leaving behind a corpse.”</p><p>Lurien felt a pit in his stomach as he remembered that that was the fate of his butler. He’d rather not think about that right now. He needed something to distract himself from thinking about how it was likely that everyone he knew was dead. Monomon, she was nearby! She had to be alive, right? If he was alive too? He was desperate to find any other living bug.</p><p>“...and the infection is gone?”</p><p>Huh? Oh, Lemm had been talking to him, he had completely missed everything but the end.</p><p>“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that,” Lurien said, eager to leave now that he had a plan in mind. “It was nice talking to you, but I’m going now, I have uh, official dreamer business to attend to.”</p><p>“Are you perhaps going to the archives you mentioned before?” Lemm asked. “If so could I maybe go with you?”</p><p>“I suppose so,” Lurien sighed. “Come on.”</p><p>“Excellent!” Lemm said, actually sounding excited about the trip. “I promise not to ask too many questions about the kingdom on the way there.”</p><p>Lurien doubted he would keep that promise.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lurien about dealing with the horrible devastation of his city: I am looking away I do not see it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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